Load-reducing means for conveyers



June I0, 1930. G, Jx MEYER 1,763,095

LOAF.) RSDUCZNG MEANS F611 CDNVEYERS Filed Aug. 21 1929 25 a l wmvsssss W Ai TOR/VEY 30 tion 10ml and more spr g Patented June 10, 1930 UNITED s1" GECRG}: J. MEYER, F MILWAUKEE, wisoozg, w'zsco sm, A oo rs riox or VVISGONSIN FACTURING COMPANY,

$333363 T0 GEO. J. MEYER MANU- Apglication filed Jingnfit 21, 1829. Serial No, 38 3 42 7.

Tho invention relates 0 means for conveyors.

In Certain machines einhobiying conveyors it is necessary to lift heavy loziiis over a 5 considerable distance, in; i iin one floor to another, In a, machine of tgpo, a. considerable friction load is iiiiposoi on the bearings of the rotar ziioiiiberon" :1 ii jii the asoendiiig ioiriioarrying ooii oyoriiigoi is supported at. its upper 'ei'icl, an when the conveyor is required to he impelled around :1 number of succeeding rotary members,

the friction load on the bearings of these members is incroasorl by reason of tho iris fiun, load on the first-named bearingsz The weight of the downwardly moving conveyor flight places a oonsiderahlg friction load on the huzu'ings of tho rotary member over which it last passvfi, Wiiiiil retards the (lescent, and if this sirain is transmitted to the bearings of other rotary members, the friction load is sobsfzmtialiy inoroziseril. The

io 51. 7 i. ion ioml on the mzwhine may fin: 1- for: becomo unduly large, with tho rosnit that relatively rapid Wear will occur and an excessive. amount of power williha quired to drive the maohine. V f r r It is an object of the pl'egfii ll'ii krlliiiikil ig grovide means for Lg ibis irisiiiioaiiy to 'provide rotary means engaging and stisponfingboth aiswmiing and closcomling conveyor flights to siillstantially balance the suspended loads and to materially reduce the dead itlilfii;fii1 lhe se'convq er flights. .1; :7

Another objeoi of tiiefliiireiiiion irovide a oonreyer inoi iding'an adjustably-nioinitobprooket wheel engaging and SHSEEIHiiiHg both ascending and dosoenriing fiigiifs of conveyor chain.

Tim invention further consists in iie'sow and features hereinaftor forth Zillii more particularly clefinedr'by tho annexed claims.

In the acoomnanying drawings, Fig. 1 is: a sidoelevationof a bottle-handlingnioohi'ne embodying ine load I'fiiilCillg means of this invention, iiiits being broken away ori parts being shown in section; 77 Fig. 2 is a detail ectional elevation show- 29 which Hairs on pair? 0% :fimri'i onrlie s son- 7 the roilnr typo i'orming the 1 siiiiiible ooiire zfir 1 1. "wa of exiiingiegiiiis CQHVZEY siioififi io be a: batik iiofire or incorporated in a boitl-il31liiiikg mauiiino 12, here indicated to be ooniiiineii soaking and washing machine infiillilgrzi soaking tank 13 and washing inooiinisin 1%. in some installations; it 11:13 been ioiinil desirable to piano the bottlei gnifiohinr on one iioor and to extend tin? bottle oon vayvr to an adjaoent floor for ioziiiiiig or unloading purposoa. in the pres- '1on51iiistorioo adjacent fibi'fiildillg and (lesoeniiiing flights of the bottle conveyor are extended to the floor beh m' iopa-ss about a fiiiar member 15, and a bottle loading ii 5 is placed mijaofiiiiiil? lowoi end iii iiie ascending flight of conveyor. The

Giiitiils of the ason ding flight are giiiiiio along angle tracks fi zan the confi ver ohains of the riosconding flight are guided along angle iraolts 18, the nomading and 'dioentiing nonveyer flights ing throngh {in 19 in the floor which suppoiftsiiiim" hlfitlofileaning machine. The

" fifigifi trfioks l7 terminate.

' inl: adjacent a rotary memioiins a support for the ugogior ondonirfj; f iing conveyor fligllir gil 1 coiww or aha over the rotary i, i 'bor 2i) aiiinto ibe soaking tank 'anii are movablg' iii .a: sinuous path through the soaking tank, tho ohainsbeing supported for such movement by passing ovor a: number of rotary ilfiillbfii'rj 21. After lgiiving the soaking tank 23, ltB"i)li% fiV%%f passes in i1 ih'ii'liiiiiliill iiighigmsi tiie vaxsh- H 7 when? 7 the bottles are and subjected to washing and rims iii. a WQEli-kflifilflKBEIHBET. Afier 11g apparatus, the conveyor V, or aiotary supporting member 22, ill ,ilien passes an unloadingilevioe of suitable construction where. the. cleaned bothe numeral ifii riesig-i ties are unloaded from the con'veyer. lhe empty conveycr then descends to a pair of angle tracks 2% along which the conveyer chains are guided for horizontal movement to a pair of guide wheels or sheave wheels 35 one being shown) extending into the lloor opening 19 and carried on a shaft 26. The convcyer chains pass over the wheels 25 and then travel in a descending flight along the angle tracks to heretofore noted. The conveyer may be driven by any suit able impehiug 1neans,as commonly provided in bottle cieaning nnu-hines.

A pair ot axially spaced sprocket wheels 2? tone being shown) are disposed in the floor opening it) to engage the rollers of the adjacent ascending and descending {lights of the conveyer chains. The sprocket wheels are carried on a transversely-exteniling shaft 28 Which is journalled in suitable anti-triction bearings at the end portions ot a surrounding tube 29, the tube being suspended near its ends on eye-bolts 3%). Floor pedestals 31 at opposite sides of the floor opening 1.9 carry a pair of spaced transversely-extending channel members 32 thcreabove betwecn which the eve-bolts 30 pass, each eyebolt also passing through a supporting plate 33 resting on the upper faces of the channels. A nut 25% threaded on each eywbolt Ell) bears on the suj'iporting plate 3?) and is rapable oi adjustment to vary the elevation of the sprocitet, wheels 2T. The wheels 25 serve to retain the chain rollers between the teeth oi' the sprocket wheels at one side of the sprocket wheels. and at the other side the chain is retained in mesh with the sprocket wheels by the flanges of angle plates 35 secured to the angle tracks 17.

The sprocket wheels 27 support therefrom all the weight: ot the eonveycr and its contents disposed below the sprocket wheels, thereby relieving the bearings of the rotary supports it) and 25, as well as the bearings of the other rotary members in the. cleaning machine from an excessive friction load, The weight of the descending flight ot' the convcycr suspended from the sprocket wheels 27 is substantially the same as the weight of the ascending flight of the conveyer disposed below the sprocket wheels, (cxce 'it tor the weight of the bottles in the ascending flight), thereby approximately balancing the weight suspended from opposite sides of the sprocket wheels. The sprocket wheels can be readily adjusted by their suspension eye-bolts to coml'iensate for wear and stretch in the convcycr chains.

By means of this lnr'tflltlflh. it is possible to materially reduce the friction load and bearing pressures on the bearings ot' the conveycr-supporting members and thus not only reduce wear but also eti'ect substantial economies in power consumption. hile the application ol the invention has been excmpliiicd in a hottle-cleaning machine, it wiil be obvious that the invention can be used in any type ot machine in which similar conditions are encountered.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a machine having a conveyer including ascending and descending flights and rotary supporting means for the upper portions of said conveyer flights, the cornbinatioin with said conveyer, of a rotary member engaging at its opposite sides the ascending and descending flights and supporting the lower portions of said flights therefrom to minimize the friction load on said rotary supporting means.

2. In a machine having a conveyer including ascending and deswnding flights and rotary supporting means for the upper portious of said conveyer flights, the combination, with said conveyexg oi a rotary member engaging at its opposite sides the ascending and descending flights and supporting the lower portions of said flights therefrom to minimize the friction load on said rotary simporting means. and means for adjnstably elevating said rotary member.

3. in a machine having a chain conve vcr including ascending and descending flights and rotary supporting means for the upper portions of said conveyer flights, the combinatioin with said conveyer, ot a rotatably mounted sprocket wheel engaging at its opposite sides the chain of said ascending and descending flights and supporting the lower portions of said flights tllelfl'tl'tiill to minimize the friction load on said rotary supporting means.

4-. In a machine having a conveyer including ascending and descending flights and rotary supporting means tor the upper portions of said conveycr flights, the combinatimn with said conveyer. of rotatably mounted supporting means engaging both said ascending and. descending flights for supporting and suspending the lower portions of said flights therefrom to minimize the friction load on said rotary supporting means.

5. In a machine having a chain conveyer including asccmling and descending flights and rotary supporting means for the upper portions of said conveyer flights, the combination, with said. conveyer, of guide tracks along which the conveyer chain of said llight passes, a sprocket wheel engaging at its opposite sides the chain of said ascending and descending flights, guide means for confining the chain in engagement with said sprocket wheel, and. means for supporting said sprocket wheel to cause said sprocket wheel to assume the weight of the lower portions of said conveyer flights to thereby minimize the friction load on said rotary supporting means.

loo

6. In a machine having a chain convever including ascending and descending flighfis and rotary supporting means for the upper portions of said conveyor flights, the coinbinartion with said conveyor, of guide tracks along which the conveyer chain of said flight passes, a sprocket wheel engag ing at its opposite sides the chain in said ascending and descending flights guide means for confining said chain inesngsge ment with said sprocket wheel, a shaft on which said sprocket wheel is mounted, a bearing member in which said shaft is journslled. s suspension member engaging said hearing member, a transversely-extending supporting member receiving said suspension member therein, and means for 1011- gitudinally displacing said suspension mem her for adjustably elevating ssid sprocket Wheel to cause said sprocket wheel to assume the weight of the lower portions of said eon- Ye rer flights to thereby minimize the Erie lion load on said rotary supporting means.

7. The combination of a. bottle cleaning machine having an endless bottle conveyor including a chain and there being rotary members supporting said chain, said eonveyer including a portion extended downwardly from said machine to a bottle-trainsferring station, and said downwardly extended portion of the eonveyer including :isoending and descending fiights supported at their upper portions on said rotary memhers, and sprocket wheel suspension means engaging the chain of both said ascending and descending oonveyer flights for spproxiinsiely balancing the loads therehelow and for reducing the iriction load on said rotary supporting members.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature.

GEORGE J. MEYER. 

